Here's a pithy bit from Ray and his three rules. "Work is the only answer. Get your work done. If that doesn't work, shut up and drink your gin. And when all else fails, run like hell."

On the Scientology subject: years ago the alternative weekly in Boston ran a tongue in cheek price comparison to the consumer of the various religions. I forget all the in between ones, but Scientology was the most expensive. $5000 or something to get "clear" (these are 1970's dollars)- the cheapest was Christianity- you can get a free bible from the Gideons.

On Tuesday, I saw in the news that Mars One is intending to establish a colony on Mars by 2023. Tuesday night, Ray Bradbury passed away. When I read about his death on Wednesday, I almost wondered whether he felt it was okay to go because one of his major dreams was being realized finally...maybe not, but it did cross my mind.

I saw Ray talk when I was in college, and he was utterly convinced that humans would make water from rocks, colonize Mars, and do great and wonderful things that we were inhibited from doing primarily by our inability to imagine them. A thoroughly engaging and radically optimistic guy. I loved Fahrenheit 451, but I like the Martian Chronicles even better.